


let him hold well

by oogenesis



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Faustian Bargain, Gen, Old Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oogenesis/pseuds/oogenesis
Summary: Dr. Faker makes a pact.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	let him hold well

**Author's Note:**

> from 2016. originally was going to be part of a much longer and more elaborate au, but what the heck, i feel like posting old wips. this could probably be better written since my writing has improved in three and a half years but i don't feel like rewriting it
> 
> cw heavy (but abstracted) people-eating imagery after the scene break

_Oho_ , says the great glowing shape that rises above Faker and fills the cavern, settling the crystal stalagmites into a dancing glitter, filling Faker’s ears with a roar somewhat like flame, _it's been a while since we've had one of these_.

Faker keeps his eyes directed at the ground until the glow fades to something he can actually look at. The faery in front of him is a shifting pattern of light and dark, vaguely human-shaped, and he can see the shape of eyes. Those eyes survey the offerings with interest. _You’ve brought quite a bit, I see._

“I’ve—” says Faker, and clears his throat. “I’ve never done something like this before, and all the research I did was vague. I didn’t know what would be enough.”

 _Is that so._ The faery spares another moment to look over Faker's two unconscious coworkers. Then it stretches, and its form coils lazily into something like a vine adorned with bright red maple leaves. _Anyway, out with it, what’s your demand?_

“It’s my son,” says Faker. “Haruto. He’s sick, and he’s—” His voice sticks in his throat, and he has to take a moment to work around it. “He's not going to make it.”

 _And you want him to get better._ The maple leaves ripple pensively in a invisible wind. _Of course, of course._ It shifts form again and becomes a floating metal crest, a thing of barbaric edges and swoops, whose blood-red gemstone seems to fix its glint on Faker. _So. What are you willing to give?_

“Anything,” says Faker desperately. “Half my life, or more. I brought these—” he gestures to Kazuma and Byron, lying still and prone on the ground “—in case that wasn’t enough.”

 _How very thoughtful._ The metal shape loosens, becomes soft and fluid, and rearranges itself into a variety of shapes before settling on a blurred and shifting outline of—something humanoid—gray and purple and gold, princely jewels and a dancing flame for hair. _You lured them down here on the pretext of exploring, didn’t you? The crystal caves, liminal space, great destination for your little spelunking trip, hmmm? And of course, timing it right when the Plough was greatest in the sky. Quite admirable. So. I’ll take the two of them._

A ghostly hand reaches out. The ground under Byron and Kazuma erupts into a pink glow, circles within spirals of light knifing their way through the dim lantern-lit darkness of the cave. Faker scrambles back.

 _Oh, I forgot to mention._ The faery is suddenly right in front of Faker, blocking the view of Byron and Kazuma’s bodies in the glowing circle. Its vaguely formed mouth grins and there are some solid _teeth. Real nice of you and all to bring two whole sacrifices, but usually people give up something of their own, yknow? So, I’m adding to the price. How about I take a chunk of your own remaining lifespan too? That’s kind of traditional around here. Non-negotiable, by the way, I just decided that now._

Faker swallows, his stomach a clenched fist. Trying to focus on anything part of the shifting being in front of him other than the solid grin-teeth hurts his eyes.

“All right,” he says. There's no choice. It's this or Haruto’s life, and he came down here fully prepared to give up _anything_ to keep Haruto’s life intact.

 _Excellent! I knew you wouldn’t refuse._ A shimmering hand claps Faker on the shoulder; it burns hot-cold like ice. _And hey, since you’ve been so charitable, how about I throw something else in as well?_ It leans in, and the flame that is its hair turns small and blue. _Keeping this between the two of us, I’ve got some friends in unsavory places. I can get you your own demonic servant to help keep the kid safe, how about that? It’ll be our secret._

The grin before him is, a wolf, no, it’s a snake, no, a supernova. Faker doesn’t think he can refuse this thing anything it offers or demands. “All right.”

 _There we go!_ The faery draws back and its hair bursts back into leaping orange flame again. Or maybe its head is just on fire. Faker wouldn’t know. _Oh, we’re getting along just swimmingly, aren’t we? I’ll tell you, you timed this well, doing the ritual when the star Phecda is dominant in the Plough. You wouldn’t have gotten the same treatment from Dubhe or Benetnasch._ It crosses its indistinct legs as though sitting on thin air. _Any last requests before we finalize this?_

“Haruto—” There are tears coming. “He’ll be okay, won’t he? He’ll be safe?”

 _Of course._ A dismissive wave of the hand; the glint of beaded bracelets. _That’s what we’re all about, darling. Now, if you’re ready, just say “I accept”, or something equally weighty-sounding and binding—_

“I accept,” says Faker.

 _Good._ It’s pleased and smooth like a snake hissing in his ears. The glow beneath Kazuma and Byron erupts like a scream, and ground crumbles away in a spiral void beneath them, and Faker's vision is blurring, going, his ears muffling—

***

The faery the taker the eater is eating.

It has already made short work of the man’s half-remaining-lifespan; not bad, if not particularly flavorful. A couple decades of research and growing old with the kids. Well, so much for that. They’re gobbled up with a snap.

Now it’s starting in on the sacrifices, and having a pretty good time digging in to the succulent taste of memories and emotions, when the one it’s feasting on wakes up and starts screaming.

Well, that’s annoying. The faery keeps working at a particularly tasty patch of memory until the frightened human babbles out the word “bargain” at which point, because of the fucking rules, it has to stop and listen.

“What do you want?” it asks peevishly.

The human’s mind is a whirlwind of terror—being in the incomprehensible otherworld of the fae realm tends to do that to them—and in the center of that terror, like the eye of a storm, there is a visible anger crystallizing. A desperate bitter hatred. The one who put him in this situation—

 _Revenge,_ says the human.

Of course. “And what do you have to give?” says the faery, flipping over the man's consciousness to see if there is anything particularly juicy on the underside.

 _Anything,_ sobs the man. _Except my life._ He stops and considers, and seems to be reaching for a memory, but can't quite get there. No wonder - it's one of the ones that's been partially eaten through. Finally he grasps it, and says, _And my sons. Don't hurt my sons._

“Got it,” says the faery, and grins despite itself. It’s going to eat through every delicious portion of this man’s consciousness and identity that isn’t required for this revenge quest, steal his bodily self-image and most of his lifespan as a bonus, and then send him on his way. Not a bad bargain. “But you know, I’ve never seen any human leave this place and go back to their own world after being here without any charms to protect them.” The man’s physical body is already well on its way to complete disintegration. “There’ll be a bit of this place in you now, I should think. This’ll be fun to watch.”

The human whimpers. Probably not even processing any of it.

“You're no fun.” That's a half-eaten human for you. “I’ll be collecting my payment now.”

And the faery of the cursed star Phecda returns to its feast.

**Author's Note:**

> i think a lot about how cool it is that faker pretty much literally made a faustian contract in canon. and tron probably did too depending on your interpretation of events. expect more "barians as the fae" content if i ever get around to posting any more of my old wips


End file.
